The Pakistan Experience

Author, Producer, Storyteller, CEO, Nikhil Taneja joins us for a lovely cathartic conversation on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience. We discuss Mental Health, Masculinity, Social Media, Cancel Culture, Coke Studio, Our love for Sharukh Khan, Social issues driven content and Pakistan-India dosti! Nikhil Taneja is a Mumbai-based writer, producer, storyteller, teacher, entrepreneur, and youth mental health advocate. He's the co-founder and CEO of India's first Gen Z-driven youth media and insights organisation called Yuvaa (@weareyuvaa), that works on creating impact in the lives of young Indians through meaningful content and conversations. Nikhil also serves on the Global Advisory Board of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's community, Goalkeepers, and is the Festival Creative Director of the India Film Project. He hosts Main Hoon Yuvaa, a podcast that listens to the Gen Z, and is writing his first book, Be A Man, Yaar, that attempts to take the toxic out of masculinity. The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89 Chapters: 0:00 Cross-border conversations and Coke Studio 5:30 Shahrukh Khan Love 11:45 Nikhil's journey and Inspiring the Youth 19:00 Mental Health, Empathy and Self-Care 28:30 Healing the inner child 32:30 Setting boundaries and learning to say no 38:30 Imposter Syndrome and Gender Roles 44:00 Psychedelics, Consciousness and Being Drugged 1:00:00 Awaam ko kaisa content chaiye? 1:09:00 Problematic Content, Products of Time and Nuance 1:19:30 Cancel Culture vs Consequence Culture on Social Media 1:41:00 Item Numbers, Sexism and Content conditioning people 1:58:00 Jab Mil Jaye Gai Teen Dost

Mariam Shafqat Goraya, Sajeer Shaikh, Ekta Shaikh, Sana Jafri, Zoya Rehman, Maria Amir, Qurrat Mirza and Laiba Zainab join us for a special behtak reflecting on the 5 years of Aurat March in Pakistan; the sucesses, the fatigue, the fear, the accomplishments and the future.  The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.       Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience    And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience    The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.      Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89

Dr. Suraj Yengde comes on The Pakistan Experience for a deep dive on Caste in India; how Dalits are discriminated against systematically in India.   On this week's episode, we get into Identity politics, Modi's India, "Hinduphobia", Neoliberalism, the Dalit genocide, politics and activism.  Dr. Suraj Yengde is one of India’s leading scholars and public intellectuals. Named as one of the "25 Most Influential Young Indian" by GQ magazine and the "Most influential Young Dalit" by Zee, Suraj is an author of the bestseller Caste Matters and co-editor of award winning anthology The Radical in Ambedkar. Caste Matters was recently featured in the prestigious "Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade" list by The Hindu. Caste Matters is being translated in seven languages.   Suraj holds a research associate position with the department of African and African American Studies. Suraj's recent appointment was Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, a non-resident fellow at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, and was part of the founding team of Initiative for Institutional Anti-Racism and Accountability (IARA) at Harvard University.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.  Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.   Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89   Chapters: 0:00 How did Dr Suraj get to Harvard 5:00 Dalit Representation 25:00 Caste, Class and Identity Politics 33:00 History, Fascism and the Reassertion of Identity 49:20 Hinduphobic and Dehumanization of Dalits 1:00:00 Neoliberalism and Identity wars 1:15:00 Tone Policing 1:19:00 Peoples Q&A

Abdul Moiz Jaferii is the ex-host of Agenda 360 and the current host of Nazuk Mor. He is a lawyer and a journalist. Abdul Moiz Jaferii comes on The Pakistan Experience for a detailed conversation on judicial reform, the fraught history of Chief Justices in Pakistan, PECA, and current affairs.  Is PECA fascist? Is the Justice system broken? Will Imran Khan emerge as our anti-establishment democratic hero?  Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89 Chapters: 0:00 The Zahir Jaffer Verdict 10:30 Justice System Reforms in Pakistan 20:30 Iftikhar Chaudhry, his legacy and Saqib Nisar 26:00 The powers of the Chief Justice 29:00 The system is broken 34:00 Lack of dissent in the Supreme Court 40:30 Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Nasla Tower 50:30 Constitutional Avenue Tower 53:00 PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act) 1:00:20 Suo Moto Powers of the Supreme Court 1:05:00 Will Imran emerge as an Anti-establishment Democratic Hero? 1:23:30 Editorial policies of News Channels in Pakistan 1:27:00 News as Business 1:29:00 What reforms does Journalism need?

Mariam Shafqat Goraya, Sajeer Shaikh and Ekta Shaikh join us for a very special episode of The Pakistan Experience where we discuss teesri shadiyan, consent, Valentines Day, attempt a meme review and abort a roast.  The podcast turns extra special when it becomes a behtak with our TPE family. Watch our audience steal the show in this episode!   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.       Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience     And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience     The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.      Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89

Mustafa Akyol, author, columnist, and speaker. The Thinking Muslim,” a popular podcast, defined Akyol as “probably the most notable Muslim modernist and reformer.   Mustafa Akyol comes on The Pakistan Experience for a thorough discussion on Islam, Modernity, Secularism, Liberalism and the Reopening of the Muslim Mind.  On this deep dive discussion, we discuss if Erdogan is leading Turkey down a dark path, Islamic principles, the problem of literalism, Muslim thinkers, Apostasy, Blasphemy Laws and understanding Islamic jurisprudence.   You can download Mustafa Akyol's book, "Why, as a Muslim, I defend Liberty" for free here: https://www.libertarianism.org/books/why-muslim-i-defend-liberty Mustafa is also the author of Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty, long-listed in 2012 for the Lionel Gelber Prize, a literary award for the world's best non-fiction book in English. He became a contributing opinion writer for the International New York Times in 2013. He is mainly famous in the western world for his arguments that Islam is highly compatible with classical liberalism and Enlightenment values, and that Islamic practice and the governance of Muslim-majority countries should be reformed along those lines similar to what previously happened in Christian-majority Europe.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.       Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience    And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience    The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.      Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89     Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Erdogan's Turkey 8:40 Islam and democracy 13:40 Concubines 15:30 Can Islam change? 22:00 The problem of literalism 27:00 Muslim thinkers 30:00 Individual reason, conscience and morality 33:40 Apostasy  43:00 Blasphemy laws 49:30 Islam as a political system and secularism 1:00:00 The fight about who the true Muslim is 1:04:00 Understanding Ahadith and upholding the Quran 1:17:00 Are these ideas rethinking Islam? 1:28:00 There is no punishment for drinking in Islam 1:30:30 The laws against Zina in Pakistan 1:34:30 Imran Khan and his ideas about Riyasat-e-Madina

Sanjay Rajoura is a stand-up comedian and a cultural critic. He is a part of trio of "Aisi Taisi Democracy and hosts the Youtube show 'Bharat ek Mauj'  Sanjay comes on the podcast for a comprehensive discussion on Freedom of Speech, Privilege, Allyship, Arnab Goswami, Identity Politics and the role of Comedy.    The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.        Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience  And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience   The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.    Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89    Chapters: 0:00 Introduction: 1:50 Why are India and Pakistan afraid of comedians? 10:50 Arnab Goswami and selling hate 18:05 Trolls on the Payrolls 19:50 Growing fascism  26:20 Munawar Faruqui and Zakir Khan 33:45 Are Indian comedians Anti establishment? 41:45 Vir Das and Two Indias 44:50 Modi, caste and privilege 49:10 Identity politics 58:50 Biases  1:02:40 The #MeToo Movement and allyship 1:16:20 Social media and online activism 1:25:20 Consent 1:28:30 295-A, Freedom of Speech and Hate Speech 1:33:00 Raids, Journalism and Comedians 1:38:00 Freedom of Speech and Big Tech

Mehdi Farooq comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss why Blockchain technology will change the world. On this episode, we discuss why the ban on cryptocurrency in Pakistan is short-sighted, Waqar Zaka vs Imran Khan, what NFTs are, and what the future of cryptocurrency will be.   Mehdi is a senior investment analyst at Token Metrics. He helps research early-stage altcoins, and he will soon be moving to their VC arm.  He also has prior experience in global macro research and equity research (US tech). He is currently doing his second Masters in Digital Currency and Blockchain. He also loves hiking, cricket and is passionate about bio-hacking.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.    Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceAnd Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.   Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89

Fatima Razzak is a journalist working for the Lok Sujag who recently won the Diversity and Pluralism in Media Award 2021 for her story "A textbook case of prejudice' which investigates how SNC would fuel hatred towards religious minorities in Pakistan.  Fatima comes on the podcast to discuss the Single National Curriculum, her reservations about it, why religious minorities are protesting it and responds to Dr. Mariam Chughtai's job offer.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.    Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience      And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience        The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.          Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89     Chapters: 0:00 Mariam Chughtai's job offer 9:00 Fatima Razzak's story on SNC 12:00 Is it SNC just political? 20:00 Is SNC regressive? 25:00 Is Islamiat only limited to the subject? 33:00 Alienation of religious minorities and otherization 42:00 Representation of Women in Textbooks 46:00 Fears of minorities and extremism 56:00 Are only the elites against the SNC? 1:01:00 Recommendations 1:04:00 The Depilex story

Manu Pillai is an Indian author and historian. Manu joins us for a beautiful conversation on finding the humanity in historical figures, the Victorian morality, Twitter historians and the over valuing of religion as a factor in Indian history.   On this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience, Manu presents us numerous great historical anecdotes, from his Grandmother's tale of the broken bed to the morality of the blouse!   Pillai is known for his debut non-fiction The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore for which he won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2017.The story is expected to be adapted into a web series by Arka Mediaworks. Rebel Sultans, Pillai's second work, narrates the story of the Deccan from the close of the thirteenth century to the dawn of the eighteenth century. His most recent book is The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin. He has announced that he is working on his next work which is due for publishing in 2022.      The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.     Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience      And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience        The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.          Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89     Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Demystifying the past: Finding the 'human' in history 5:00 A grandmother's tale 7:00 The "Emancipated" Courtesan 12:00 A Victorian Morality 20:00 The Artist informing HIstory 26:00 Twitter Historians 29:30 They are telling us "who we are"; sifting history from propaganda  36:50 "The first Taliban" 40:30 One of several factors 48:00 Divide and Rule 54:00 The Mughals 59:00 Habshee History 1:04:00 The darbaar